North Korea Remains Uncommunicative Over Suspected Detention of US Soldier Who Fled Across Border

North Korea maintained silence over the unusual incidence of a US soldier crossing the highly fortified Korean border, even while it demonstrated its military power with short-range missile tests on Wednesday.

There has been no information about Private 2nd Class Travis King since he dashed into North Korea from the border village of Panmunjom during a tour. King is the first known American to be detained in North Korea in nearly five years. North Korea’s missile tests on Wednesday morning, interpreted as a reaction to the deployment of a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea, are believed to be unrelated to King’s crossing.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in South Korea, predicts that North Korea may utilize King as a propaganda tool initially, and later as a negotiation asset.

23-year-old King, a cavalry scout with the 1st Armored Division, had spent nearly two months in a South Korean prison due to an assault charge. He was set to return to Fort Bliss, Texas on Monday after his release on July 10, where he may have faced further disciplinary actions and potential discharge from the service.

After being escorted to customs, King exited the airport before his flight departure. His subsequent actions leading up to his entry into North Korea via the Panmunjom tour are unclear. Following the notification of King’s family, the Army released his name and some details, while other specifics were provided by anonymous U.S. officials due to the sensitive nature of the incident.

King’s mother, Claudine Gates from Racine, Wisconsin, expressed shock and disbelief upon learning about her son’s crossing into North Korea.

The U.S. government is reportedly collaborating with North Korean counterparts to resolve the situation, with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stating that they are investigating the situation and are primarily concerned about King’s welfare.

Despite no formal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and North Korea, communication may still occur via Panmunjom or North Korea’s U.N. mission in New York. However, Sweden, which previously provided consular services for detained Americans in North Korea, has not been able to do so since North Korea imposed a COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

Defection from the U.S. or South Korea to North Korea is infrequent, in stark contrast to the over 30,000 North Koreans who have fled to South Korea since the Korean War, escaping political repression and economic hardship.

The timing of King’s crossing, coinciding with a U.S. submarine’s arrival in South Korea, gives North Korea an opportunity to cause embarrassment to the U.S., according to Tae Yongho, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in London.

Panmunjom, a hotspot for both diplomatic and touristic activity, is jointly overseen by the U.N. Command and North Korea. The village is known for its iconic blue huts on the demarcation line and attracts visitors eager to witness the final frontier of the Cold War.

A few U.S. soldiers defected to North Korea during the Cold War, including Charles Jenkins in 1965, who later appeared in North Korean propaganda. More recently, some American civilians were arrested on charges of espionage and subversion, but they were freed following high-profile U.S. diplomatic missions.

North Korea released three American detainees in May 2018 during a brief period of improved relations. There have been no reports of further detentions of Americans in North Korea since then until this recent incident.

The cases of these detainees stand in stark contrast to Otto Warmbier, a student who died shortly after his release from North Korean custody in a coma in 2017. North Korea has been accused by the U.S., South Korea, and others of leveraging foreign detainees for diplomatic gains.

Sean Timmons, a managing partner at Tully Rinckey law firm, suggested that King’s fate might rest in the hands of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if King is seeking to position himself as a legitimate defector.

This report includes contributions from Matthew Lee and Zeke Miller of Big Big News, with Copp reporting from Washington.

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